


Someone's Watching over Me

by TeekiJane



Series: The Boys of Summer [11]
Category: Baby-Sitters Club - Ann M. Martin
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-30
Updated: 2013-09-30
Packaged: 2017-12-28 02:22:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/986543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeekiJane/pseuds/TeekiJane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a "totally embarrassing" sex talk with Haley, Byron gets caught...practicing...with Jeff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Someone's Watching over Me

_Found myself today_  
 _Oh I found myself and ran away_  
 _Something pulled me back_  
 _The voice of reason I forgot I had_  
Hilary Duff, Someone’s Watching Over Me

**Byron**

The Monday after the disastrous date (which Jeff later referred to as Haley v. Tiffany, round one) was the first day of final exams. Not only did I have to sit through the agony of calculus and physics, but I also had to go to work afterward. Lucky me. 

Now that Vanessa had her license, Mom had put up a calendar specifically for the five of us who could drive to put up our work and social schedules. Mal was working during the day, and Adam’s job as a camp counselor would also be Monday through Friday, nine through five. The two of them had already worked out a schedule that would let them both get to work, and even get me to work if I needed to be there during the day. That just left fighting for the nights, when I did most of my work, and both Jordan and Vanessa were working. 

I was at an extreme disadvantage, because, unlike the other two, I couldn’t walk or bike to work, and there was no bus out to Stoneybrook Corners, where the Kitchen  & Bath store was located. So basically, if someone beat me to the car, I was screwed. 

So were the circumstances that Monday. Luckily for me, Hay volunteered to drive me to work. I’d asked and she’d said it was a slightly better way to spend her time than studying for her Spanish final, but she was kidding. I hope. 

We’d been in the car for about two seconds when Tiff came up. I’d been waiting for it. Hay’d pursed her lips and then barreled ahead. “So…what do you think of Tiff after this weekend?” 

I grimaced. Hay’d called me Pollyanna last week because I’d decided to give Tiffany a chance. I couldn’t even call it a second chance, because that would imply that I’d gotten to know her the first time she and Adam had dated. And yeah, she’d pretty much blown her chance. But anyone could have a bad night, especially when she was meeting a couple new people and dealing with a couple others who could have been really nasty to her. Right? And anyways, it hadn’t deterred Adam. After Haley had stalked off and Jordan had followed her, I’d been desperate to make an exit. Jeff either read my mind or he’d felt the same way, because he’d made an excuse about having to work at seven the next morning, and we’d left. Adam had stayed out until curfew with Tiff. I’d barely seen him all weekend, between work and studying, so I hadn’t had a chance to talk to him about what had happened.

I pretended to read road signs for a while, trying to decide how to respond to Hay’s question. She saw right through me. “Oh, my God,” she said incredulously, “You’re going to give her _another_ chance, aren’t you? After she said that you needed to get a life?” She was on a roll and there was no stopping her. “And that Matt escaped from an institution? And made fun of Jordan? And made that joke about--” Hay finally stopped, not because she’d run out of breath—she can go at least twice that long—but because she didn’t want to say the word _rape_. 

I wrinkled my brow. “When did she make fun of Jordan?” I asked, carefully steering the topic away from the taboo. She shrugged, looking like she’d said too much. “Anyway, Hay, she didn’t _know_. If she knew I was the world’s biggest nerd, who until recently thought he’d _never_ get laid…” I paused for a moment, hoping Haley’d smile. She did. “…then I doubt she would have said anything of the sort.” 

Hay threw her left hand in the air. If she hadn’t been driving, both hands would have gone up. “I can’t believe you’re defending that big mouth,” she said huffily. 

I leaned forward and let my sunglasses fall down my nose, then looked at her over the top. “Hay, I love you. You know I do. But you have absolutely no right to call anyone else a big mouth.” 

She tried hard not to smile—to maintain the serious nature of the discussion. “Yeah, but…”

“Yeah but nothing. She made a mistake. I’ve said the wrong thing once or twice in my life, too. I can get over it.” 

“I’m still not going to be friends with her.” 

“Who’s asking you to? Just be civil. You can do that, can’t you?” 

Haley pulled into the parking lot, still making a lemon face over Tiff. I was ridiculously early for my shift, so she pulled into a parking spot and turned the car off. I took off my sunglasses and made a quick survey of the employee cars and groaned. “I forgot I have to close with Helen tonight.” 

Hay put one hand over her eyes. “Oh, fuck Helen! What are you complaining about, anyway? Everyone knows you’re her pet.” 

I wrinkled my nose at the thought. “It’s disgusting the way she plays favorites.” 

“So says her favorite. You should try being on her shit list.” 

I groaned again, louder and longer. “Can we not talk about Helen anymore? I want to enjoy my last couple minutes before I face the firing squad.” 

Hay nodded. “Can we go back to an old topic of conversation?” 

“Please, not Tiff. I’d rather talk about Helen.” 

“No, God. Nooooooo!” She dragged it out so she sounded like she was howling. After a moment, she grinned and turned to me. “You said something about you getting laid?” 

I blushed instantly. “No. What I said was, I can actually picture it happening, someday. As opposed to this time last year, when I was so far in the closet, I didn’t even think there was a way out.” In spite of myself, I smiled a bit. 

“Still. How far have you and Jeff gotten?” She leaned up against the window and turned toward me, folding her legs under her on the seat. “How do you even measure that? Do you guys have bases, like we do?” 

“Haaaaa-leeeeey!” I grabbed her by the shoulders so that she was looking at me, and pretended to shake her. If she was trying to embarrass me, she’d succeeded. “I don’t want to have this conversation with you, but not for the reasons you’re thinking. 

She made a whimper like a wounded puppy and stuck out her lower lip in an exaggerated pout. “Aren’t I your best friend? Don’t you trust me?” 

I rolled my eyes. “Doofus. Yes and yes. But I know that if we start this topic, the next thing out of your mouth is information about you and Jordan. Ew, ew, and don’t want to know.” 

Hay relaxed. “Would it help you to know,” she began thoughtfully, “that Jordan isn’t doing a whole hell of a lot that you wouldn’t be?” 

I tried to sort that out for a moment. “Wait, what?” 

She laughed. “I mean, he’s not getting any more pussy than you are. We’re strictly above the waist, and we like it that way.” 

I pretended to be grossed out for a moment while she laughed some more. Secretly, though, I was glad. For a couple reasons. First, it meant that Jordan wasn’t pressuring her into anything she wasn’t ready for. 

The second reason was more selfish. Hay and Jordan had started dating right around the same time Jeff and I had. It was reassuring to me that they weren’t getting any farther than we were. I worried a lot about sex—I spent more time worrying than I did actually doing anything sexual. 

“Honestly, though,” Hay said, arching her back over her legs in a stretchy, yoga-like move, “I feel like Jordan and I passed a giant hump this weekend, even though we never took off any clothing or anything.” I raised an eyebrow at her and she straightened back up. She was looking happier than she had during the whole ride. If I’d known talking about her and Jordan _not_ having sex would make her so happy, I’d have done it a lot sooner. “I told him I loved him.” 

The second eyebrow went up to join the first. That _was_ serious. And on a selfish note again, it was something I’d never told someone and meant in that way. Of course, Hay and I tell each other we love each other all the time, and we do mean it. But it’s not the same. And while I was jealous, I was also a bit worried. “What brought that on?” 

She looked a little hurt. “I didn’t just say it because of one thing,” she defended herself, wrapping her arms around her chest. “I mean, there was a couple things that were immediate. I told him I wasn’t ready to tell him about—you know. Dominick,” I nodded, knowing she was referencing her date rape, “and he was cool with that. He didn’t question, he didn’t judge, he didn’t try to force details out of me. And it didn’t hurt that he said it first.” She looked at something out the window, towards the store, which I couldn’t see. “And I really do think I love him.” 

I was going to reply to that, but before I had a chance she turned around in her seat so she was facing forward and started the car. She lowered the passenger window. I gave her a quizzical look. “Thought we’d need some air,” she said, looking sneaky. 

A moment later, a pair of hands reached out and landed on my shoulders. I jumped high and put my arm out to defend myself, until I realized I recognized the touch. Jeff put his head inside the car and gave me a quick kiss before I saw it coming. “Hey, Haley,” he said, grinning. He turned back to me and gave me another kiss. I was better prepared this time. At the very least, I was able to actually kiss back. 

Hay was highly amused. “Keeps you on your toes, doesn’t he?” she laughed. 

I wasn’t looking at her; I was gazing at Jeff, who had turned his freckled face toward me. “You have no idea,” I told Hay. 

Jeff leaned on the side of the car and wrapped one arm around my neck. “What are you two doing sitting here in the parking lot?” 

Haley turned the car back off and turned back toward us. “We’re talking about sex,” she told Jeff in a stage whisper, one hand cupped conspiratorially against the side of her mouth, as if there were someone in the back seat that she didn’t want to hear. 

“Haley!” 

“Well, we were,” she said defensively. “Sorta.” 

Jeff laughed. “Well, we are teenagers. Isn’t it every adult’s opinion that we’re talking and thinking about sex all day long, anyway?” He leaned his head against mine. 

“Pretty much.” Hay shifted her weight around in her seat. “So Jeff, how far have you and Byron gotten, anyway?” 

I turned to glare at her, and she gave me her best cheesy grin, the kind she saves for when she’s annoying the crap out of me and she knows it. Jeff took her question semi-seriously. “How much detail do you want?” he asked. 

I rolled my eyes fondly at him, though he couldn’t really see it. “Jeff, please don’t encourage her. She’ll only get worse.” 

“No, no, my good man.” Jeff was laughing. “Let’s not leave the girl dangling.” He pretended to ponder her question for a moment, rubbing his chin with his spare hand. “Hmmm. Let’s just say, I have no complaints.” 

It was Hay’s turn to groan. “That is so not a real answer!” she whined. 

I sighed. “If I give you a ‘real answer,’ will you let the subject drop?” 

“Depends. Probably.” 

Jeff let go of my neck and turned to me. “Is that the best we’re going to be able to get out of her?” he asked. 

I nodded. “Yup.” I repeated Jeff’s ‘pondering pose’ and he laughed again. “Let’s just say, Hay, that I’m not getting any more dick than you are. Okay?” 

Jeff tilted his head to one side and looked Hay over, trying to interpret that. She, on the other hand, was thrilled. “Okay. The subject is closed for now. But I need to know when that assessment changes, okay? Best friend’s privilege.” She looked at her watch. “Sorry, By, but I’m kicking you out of my car now. I really do need to study for my Spanish exam. Jeff, you need a ride?” 

He shook his head. “Nope. It’s family dinner night and my ‘brother-in-law,’” he emphasized that with air quotes, and I understood immediately. Pete is his stepsister’s husband, and he’s only met him a few times, “is coming to pick me up. He’ll be here in probably about thirty minutes.” Jeff turned to me, grinning. “Just in time for you to clock in.” 

I climbed out as Hay started the car. She made a big show of revving the engine and peeling out of the parking lot. “She’s clearly compensating for something,” I joked as Jeff and I watched the car squeal away. 

When we were alone I started to walk toward the store, but I stopped after I realized Jeff wasn’t following. He just stood there, watching me seriously. I gave him a questioning glance. Unlike when we’d fought over the weekend, Jeff was full of emotion today, but I’d realized he was like a pendulum that swung at different speeds every time. You never knew what you were going to get out of him from one moment to the next. I walked back to him, concerned, but he wiped away my worry with a dazzling grin. “I do have one complaint,” he said, coming to meet me. 

“Huh?” 

He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me closer. “I told Haley I had no complaints about our sex life. But I lied. I do have one.” 

My mind raced to a bunch of bad places. Here it was: he was going to tell me I was a lousy kisser. Or I had no ass. Or something even worse. “Oh?” I said, not able to form a more coherent sentence. 

Jeff must have read my mind; it was probably written right across my face. He pressed me against him and spoke right into my ear. “We don’t get enough time alone together. That’s my complaint.” He kissed me right above the ear. “What, did you think I was going to insult you while I was getting ready to kiss you? That’s a great turn on.” He continued kissing around the back of my ear onto my neck. “You need to relax, By. Seriously.” 

I returned a few of those kisses. “I think this is helping me in that respect,” I joked. It was the last thing I said for a while. The rest of my air was used up in a furious make out session—as furious as you can get, standing in the middle of a parking lot. We were concealed from view from most angles by a huge SUV and a minivan. 

What Jeff said about us not getting enough time together was completely true. My house is always a zoo, and while my parents are cool, they won’t let us be alone in any room together. The rules at Jeff’s house are looser, but still kind of a problem. By the time I get off school, we run the risk of his mother walking in. I’d once joked that we needed to find a motel that charged by the hour, but at the time I was afraid that Jeff would take that idea seriously. But the longer we were together, the more I actually liked the idea. And If I ever wanted my “assessment” to change—if I ever wanted to get past just kissing—we were going to need some privacy. 

And privacy was something we were definitely not getting in that parking lot. I don’t know how long we were out there—I kinda lost track of time—but right after I placed both hands on Jeff’s butt and pulled him so close that our hips were practically fused, I heard a voice. I knew instantly who it was, and she did not sound happy. “Jeff? Byron? What are you doing?” 

A small sliver of me wanted to turn on Helen and reply, “What does it look like we’re doing?” But that’s never really been my style. Instead, I let Jeff go and took a step backward, ducking my head. Jeff looked guilty, but he kept his head up and looked Helen in the eye. 

She went on. “This is not really appropriate behavior at the work place,” Helen chided. She wasn’t actually wagging her finger, but if she hadn’t had her keys dangling on one hand and her purse clutched in her other, she might have been. 

Jeff looked defiant as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Neither one of us is on the clock,” he pointed out, “and we’re not wearing our name tags. No one knows we work here.” 

Helen raised her eyebrows. “Some of our regulars recognize most of our employees on sight,” she informed him. This might have been true, but Jeff and I were summer help—neither one of us was really recognizable. “Byron, I think you’d better go inside. You can clock in early and start by cleaning out the old customer holds. Jeff, I think you’d better head home.” 

Jeff opened his mouth, and from the set of his face, he was going to say something that he—and I—would regret. I reached out and put a hand on his arm, subtly shaking my head at him. He furrowed his brow at me but stopped before the words came out of his mouth. “I’ll go right in, Helen. Let me just say goodbye to Jeff.” 

Helen sniffed. “It had better not be like that ‘hello’ I just saw there,” she said as she walked out from between the cars toward her own little convertible. 

Jeff moved to follow her and I grabbed him by the waist and held him. “She’s not worth it,” I cautioned, “and besides, she’s kinda right. We probably shouldn’t be doing this here.” Jeff started moving his lips, rapid-fire, without any sound coming out, but I caught most of it anyway, because it was just about every four-letter word imaginable. I was still completely mortified at being caught making out—by an authority figure, nonetheless—but when he was done, I couldn’t help but smile at him. “Feel a little better?” I asked. 

He sighed. “No. Not really. But I have an idea that might help.” 

“Oh?” 

He put one broad palm on the side of my face. “What are your Independence Day plans?” 

I shrugged. “I hadn’t thought that far ahead. Still have graduation and all that shit first. Usually, Adam, Jordan and I go watch the fireworks downtown and meet up with whoever happens to be there.” 

Jeff nodded, and I could see the corners of his mouth turn up a little bit. “Well, this year, why don’t you come make some fireworks with me instead? Mom and Richard are invited to some picnic. They said I could come with, but it sounds dead boring. It goes all night basically. They won’t be home until really late. We’d have the whole house to ourselves.” 

Well. How could I resist an offer like that? I couldn’t even find the words; I just nodded. Jeff put his other hand on my shoulder and gave me a brief hug and even briefer kiss. “You’d better get in there so you can get the hold bin emptied before Her Royal Crabbiness gets back from her lunch break.” 

I shook my head sadly as I started to walk toward the store again. I had just walked out from between the cars when I stopped and turned around. “How am I going to wait until July fourth?” I asked Jeff. 

He cracked up. “You’ve been waiting eighteen years,” he pointed out. “What’s a few more weeks?” 

I waved to him and walked out of his sight. I had gotten about half way up the parking lot when he popped out into my vision again. “Hey,” he called. 

I turned around. “What?” 

Jeff grinned again. “Good luck trying to concentrate on your work while you’re thinking about us…alone…together.” Right as I started to blush, a car horn honked and Jeff turned to wave at the driver. “My ride. See ya later.” And he was gone.


End file.
